The environment doesn’t count. Or at least this is the message that GDP numbers send. But as the world becomes increasingly conscious of the shortcomings of our best current measures of progress, efforts are underway to create new ways of measuring the human condition—ones that are more conscious of social and environmental factors. The EPI is part of this effort and is helping policymakers understand the environmental conditions of their countries, highlighting areas where they need to focus efforts to improve. At the Rio+20 Earth Summit last month, the EPI and YCELP were an active part of the dialogue

While the final Outcome Document of the conference recognizes the need for “broader measures of progress to complement GDP” so as to “better inform policy decisions,” it lacks specifics…

On June 17, Yale Professor Ben Cashore took part in the Rio Dialogues on Forests. As one of several facilitators of the online discussion, Ben was responsible for encouraging discussion related to forest governance recommendations at the Rio+20 conference and for bringing the outcomes of that dialogue to the Rio Dialogues panelists for today’s discussion. During the event on the 17th, panelists debated topics ranging from a net zero deforestation goal (as an addendum to goals for restoring 150,000 hectares of forest lands), as well as the inclusion of indigenous voices (as it is difficult for individuals living in traditional communities to gain access to the technology necessary to participate in an online discussion). Panelists also placed much emphasis on valuing forest resources, which could allow society to consider the…

The Peoples’ Summit, Copula dos Povos, welcomed both conference attendees and the public. Unlike Rio Centro, where the negotiations took place, tents with hand painted signs and activist videos welcomed us. Organizations presented pamphlets on their work.
The scene was far more festive than the official negotiations. No one was rushing any where, and the largest line was for the photo booth. Live music greeted participants, both on the official stage and on sidewalks. Vendors lined their jewels and tools on sheets and blankets. A big tented enclosure was the most official congregating area, with plastic deck chairs as seating. Two screens projected a man giving a speech in Spanish. The street lamps glowed off the bay in Praia de Flamengo as twightlight…

Women’s rights are human rights!
Women’s rights not corporate rights!
Women and the planet are not for sale!

Repeat.

Women’s rights are human rights!
Women’s rights not corporate rights!
Women and the planet are not for sale!

A simple, straightforward, revolutionary message.

I raised my voice in protest with my fellow women as we shouted in the courtyard of the Rio Centro convention center. With the sounds of “Not for sale!” reverberating in my lungs, drumming against my chest, I realized I was protesting much more than the position of the Holy See in opposition to the inclusion of reproductive rights in the Outcome Document. I was also protesting the recent Supreme Court judgment that corporations are people as well as extractive industries and carbon markets.

From the very beginning of my internship I was made clear that Nepal had two clear agendas for Rio+20. First, Nepal being the chair of LDC coordination committee would be highlight and emphasize the challenges of Least Developed Countries in the Rio+20 outcome document and second, building partnerships for Mountain Initiative. Both were crucial for Nepal for its own country and for the countries it was speaking on behalf of. The number of LDCs has increased from 24 to 48 in the last three decades and only three of them have graduated out of their LDCs status. The plight of LDCs range from socio-economic, political and environmental and needs great efforts from both LDCs and their development partners. LDCs goals and development agenda has been enshrined in the Istanbul Program…

My official accreditation ran out on June 19th (long story), barring me access to Riocentro. SO for the past three days, I have been seeking my fortunes in the Athlete’s Arena across the street (What can I say? The U.N. has no mercy for those who get their paperwork wrong).

This seemed a miserable fate initially, but my fears of exclusion were entirely in error. After three days of wandering the arena, I have seen speeches up-close from U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, UNFF Director Jan McAlpine, and indigenous leaders from the Amazon.

Preface: This song was written in the space of 24 hours during the pre-conference negotiations after the PrepComm. Both logistically and substantively, negotiations were very much bogged down, creating a palpable air of frustration and hopelessness at RioCentro. These words were an attempt to channel and capture that negative emotion. Now, at the end of the summit itself, with the widespread disappointment in the final outcome document, these words once again express the disappointment that many participants feel.

I was really fortunate to participate in the plenary opening meeting yesterday afternoon, on behalf of the Marshall Islands (RMI), which I interned at their permanent mission in New York over the past semester. As I sat there with three ministers of the RMI (foreign affairs, environment and transportation), senior advisor of climate change and two escorts behind the president, Mr. Christopher Loeak, it struck me that this is a once-in-a-life-time experience: to be able to assist one of the most vulnerable small island states on a national, regional, and now international level.

While there are lots of side events going on in Rio Centro and the Athletes Park across the street, there have also been numerous events spread across the city. The International Institute for Environment and Development (iied) organized a conference called Fair Ideas: sharing solutions for a sustainable planet which brought together scholars, practitioners and business leaders around the whole range of sustainable development issues being discussed at the conference.

The opening plenary included the heads and representatives from UNEP, IUCN, iied, the Stockholm Resilience Centre and Oxfam which provided a window into the current vision of major development organizations. It also demonstrated the dominance of economics within the conversations in Rio. The head of IIED, Camilla Toulmin called for a new evaluation method other than GDP, one that…

The final outcome document, “The Future We Want,” was finalized yesterday on the eve of a series of high-level plenary sessions and roundtables, where more than 130 heads of state and government will be meeting to share perspectives. The final negotiation text is pared down to 49 pages (from over 200 pages at its heaviest) and 283 paragraphs. So how does the Outcome Document (OD) measure up? We – four students from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies – weigh in.